Walking In The Dark
by AceSeven
Summary: He wanted to walk into the dark all by himself. However, I couldn't let that happen. I wanted to take the challenge. So here is my story.
1. Where It All Starts

~Chapter 1: Where It All Starts~

I **do not** own Naruto

She could barely breathe. She was panicking, there were tears streaming down her face and she wanted to scream but she couldn't. She must stay silent. There were arms wrapped around her, these arms belonged to her older brother. She whimpered and leaned closer into the warmth her brother's arms were providing her. Why were they in this terrible situation? Well, she pretty much knew the reason. The work that her parents did could make them possible targets but this wasn't why they were all being attacked right now. Her mother was an assassin. One of the best in the company. Her father was a bounty hunter. One of the best as well. According to their history, assassins and bounty hunters were supposed to be enemies. Many wars were fought throughout the centuries between them and to this day it was an ongoing battle. She didn't get why they couldn't just get along. They both kill people after all. Her mother had been assigned on a mission to assassinate someone. At the same time her father had been assigned to hunt someone down. It was at this mission, without knowing each other's job occupations that they got to know each other and fell in love. When they learned that they were on the opposite sides of the rope, they decided that their love was more important. They completed their missions together yet her father let her mother officially complete the mission while he had the first fail of a mission implanted in his records. They never had the same target ever again yet they secretly continued their romance. After they had gotten engaged is when everything was blown to pieces.

Someone had learned about their relationship and reported it to the leader who then reported it to the next leader. A decision had been made to expel them from their respective fields. However, this did not bother them as they soon got married and had children. A boy called Yamatsu and a girl called Hiroko. These facts remained unlearned from the assassins and bounty hunters. Apparently however an order was given that they need be eventually executed and this order was put into motion today.

Hiroko could hear the 'clings' coming from when swords clashed down the stairs. It appeared that her parents were in a fierce battle with their attackers. She could only hope they wouldn't lose.

"I'm done." Hiroko heard her brother whisper to her. Her brother had insisted that if their parent's attackers had called back up to come and deal with them, they would be right next to the metal duct in the closet which is one of the many escape routes located in their home. For the past few minutes Yamatsu had been quietly unscrewing the metal bolts that held the door leading into the escape route shut. Yamatsu took out one of his kunai and an exploding tag. Carefully he tied it around the handle of the kunai.

"Take this and throw it when I say 'now' okay?" Hiroko nodded at her brother's instructions and carefully took the kunai into her hands as to not accidently trigger the exploding tag. Yamatsu closed his eyes and started to breathe evenly as if going into a trance. Not too much time passed before he shot up, his eyes wide. "I was hoping they wouldn't do this."

"What's wrong, _**ani**_?" Hiroko gripped the kunai tighter. Yamatsu looked at his younger sister. "They sent back up. Remember what I told you to do?"

Hiroko nodded. "Good, then get ready." Yamatsu stood up and made a couple of hand signs.

The door of the closet was violently kicked in as two women and a man arrived at the scene. Hiroko only got a second to look at them before the chaos started.

"A thousand needles of death!" Yamatsu exclaimed before sending needles at the party. He waited until they got ready to deflect the oncoming attack and then he made his next move. "Now!" Hiroko through the kunai with all her strength at the strange people. Sadly, it only hit the ground in front of them making Hiroko's eyes start to fill with tears of disappointment. Yamatsu put his hand on his sister's head and smiled. "Good job."

"Ha! This is all you can do, you pathetic brat!" the man exclaimed, smiling like a maniac. The man started to move forward.

"Three…two…one." Yamatsu smirked triumphantly.

"Kitsoru, no!" one of the woman exclaimed.

BOOM! The explosion kicked up dust and debris to shield Yamatsu and Hiroko from sight. Yamatsu put his hand on Hiroko's shoulder and directed her to the escape route. "Go on. I'm behind you."

"Release!" One of the woman shouted.

"Ah shit!" Hiroko had never heard her brother curse before. She could only shiver at what could cause her _**ani**_ to start displaying this behavior.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing just keep moving as fast as you can Hiroko. I'm right behind you."

Following her brother's instructions, she started pulling herself through the metal duct as fast as she could. She could have never known that this is where everything would end and begin for her.

The whole house exploded causing the metal duct they were in to break off from the house itself and fly into the air. Yamatsu, being closer to the entrance of the metal duct and because of the explosion's blast found himself hanging onto the edge of the duct for dear life. However, the heated metal burning his hands was eventually too much for him to take. He had to let go. But if that's what he had to do…there is one thing he has to say.

"_**Imōto ni sunde imasu**_." Yamatsu smiled.

"No! No, you're not going to die, so stop saying things like that Yamatsu!"

Yamatsu smirked at her and then he let go.

"No! Yamatsu! _**Watashi wa anata no koto o totemo aishiteimasu**_ so don't die!"

Tears started streaming down her face once more as Yamatsu saluted her and from then on, everything was in a blur. What she remembered next was the duct hitting a hill, her bumping her head and becoming semi-conscious, her being thrown into water….and then everything was dark.

**Author: Do you like it so far? If you do, make sure to tell me. Review and tell me what needs work and stuff like that. I've had this story in my mind for quite a while and now I'm publishing it. Wish me luck guys! Here are all the translations for the Japanese parts of the chapter. And please note I got all my translations from Google.**

"**Imōto ni sunde imasu"- "Live on, sister"**

"**Watashi wa anata no koto o totemo aishiteimasu"- "I love you very much"**


	2. A New Power

~Chapter 2: A New Power~

I **do not** own Naruto.

-Some Time Later-

Hiroko opens her eyes to a blinding sun. She moves to raise her arm to shield her eyes from the glare of light only to groan softly. Her whole body was aching. Placing her hands in a position one would when they want to sit up, she discovered she was lying on grass near the river she had almost lost her life in.

_Who saved me?_ She wondered. As she slowly pushes herself up into a sitting position, she accidently pricks her hand on what seems to be a needle. Immediately she is wide awake and alert. There is a possibility that a random person who uses needles to attack like her brother saved her or her brother himself saved her. But how? That would be impossible. He would be dead after falling from a height like that. After thinking about it for a while a pang of pain rushes through the hand that was impaled by the needle making her flinch in pain. _Oh yeah, the needle._ She turns her hand so that her palm is facing her and she grasps the needle with the other hand. _I gotta go through with it…_ Closing her eyes she removes the needle from her skin and flicks it away. She moves to stand up but the pain coursing through her body is too much for her and she falls down.

"Fuck…" At this moment, a thin, barely noticeable cloak of fire covers her encases her body, healing her bruises and broken bones while doing so. _What? What's happening? How am I doing this?_ Without her permission, her arms and legs make her stand up and her legs start walking. _What is this?! How am I moving? How can I stop?_

Now, Hiroko knew this area very well. Where she was and where her legs are taking her to was information stored in her brain. Which is why she knew automatically that her legs were taking her to her home. Wait…she doesn't even have a home anymore. _No, stop it. Don't bring me back!_ However, her pleas went unheard as she walked onto a clearing with debris of what used to be a home everywhere. Looking down, she sees her mother's necklace which she picks up and takes a minute or two to put on. _This necklace was beautiful on __**mama. **__She treasured it. I can't just leave it here._ Walking around she starts crying once again for she now saw the amount of destruction wreaked upon her home. And in the middle of the destruction were the bodies of the two people she cared for the most. "_**Mama! Otōsan!**_" Her mother and father were lying on the ground….lifeless. Hiroko let out a cry of anguish. The thin cloak that she had forgotten about until now became stronger and she immediately felt immense power running through her. There was now a ring of fire around her. She observed how the cloak and ring of fire both consisted of red fire with white tips. Unusual but beautiful regardless. Slowly, the ring and cloak disappeared but the power she felt didn't leave her. Having seen enough, Hiroko returned to the place where she had woken up to wash her face clear of the dirt, grime, sweat and tears. She would have gotten up to walk off but something stopped her in her tracks. Something was off with her. Was it with her face? Yes, definitely is. Lips, nose and ears seem the same…but her eyes. Instead of their normal dark green, her eyes were now red with hints of white, just like the fire.

_Is this the bloodline that__** Otōsan **__keeps speaking about? Yamatsu didn't have it but I did? Ughh…I feel so very tired… _Hiroko clutched her hair as she tried to stay awake but eventually sleep won the battle. Hiroko felt as her body hit the grass and the world went dark…again.

Hiroko opened her eyes to a blurry world. Blinking away the blurriness, she sat up and stifled the incoming yawn.

"Oh, you're finally up? Man, I thought you were dead. I was actually going to prepare your grave tomorrow." A man in his early twenties looked down at her.

"Hmmm? How long was I out?" Hiroko rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Two days straight." The man's expression became serious. "Are you…alright?"

"Yeah, I was just really tired." Hiroko looked at the man. He had brown hair and eyes and he was…handsome. He wore a grey T-shirt with a brown vest and brown pants. He also wore navy blue sandals. On his arm, there was a symbol Hiroko realized as the bounty hunter symbol. _What is a bounty hunter doing here?_

"Oh alright, I was just checking. There is a house that is burnt and in shambles up over there." the man pointed in the direction of what used to be her house. "I'm glad you weren't caught in the blast."

A sob managed to escape from Hiroko's lips as the man rushed over to her. "Oh no, don't cry! Please don't."

"That was my house…" Hiroko whispered as she hugged her knees close to her body.

"What was that?" the man asked leaning closer to her so he could hear her better.

"You're a bounty hunter, aren't you?" Hiroko raised her head so she could look the man squarely in the eye. "What's your name?"

"One question at a time kid. How did you know what my job is?"

_He didn't deny it. Damn him and those bounty hunter bitches. _"Well, that symbol. It represents bounty hunters."

"How do you know such information?"

Hiroko smiled at the man. "Uh-uh-uh! You answer my question now. What's your name?"

The man narrowed his eyes at the girl. "Kid…" He swiftly took his sword and pointed at the girl's neck. "Answer my question."

"Now that's not fair, mister. I thought we were taking turns. I asked, you answered. You asked, I answered. Now I ask." The man pushed his sword closer to the girl's neck. He really didn't want to do this but this girl knew too much information and won't give him answers-

"If you're going to kill me, do it. I have nothing to lose." The man's eyes widened. The girl that was sitting in front of him was completely serious. Her eyes were dull and empty. He took his sword away from the girl's neck. "My name is Hitiyashi Arugane."

"Oh! Our names both start with an 'H'. My name is Hiroko. To answer your question, my dad was a bounty hunter too."

**Author: Oh and cliffhanger! How are you liking it so far? Remember to review! Leave behind what you think and what you believe needs to be changed and so on. What's gonna happen next? I wonder… Here are your translations guys!**

"**Mama"- "Mom"**

"**Otōsan"- "Dad" **


	3. Bounty Hunting

~Chapter 3: Bounty Hunting~

I **do not** own Naruto

"Your father 'was' a bounty hunter? What is he doing now?" Hitiyashi cocked his head to the side in a questioning manner.

"Oh, he….." Hiroko choked on her words. Her throat felt like it became thick and swollen making her unable to continue her sentence. A few tears leaked from her eyes as she tried to hastily wipe them away.

Hitiyashi observed the look of pure agony on the girl's face and his eyes softened. Crouching down, he reached over to her hand that was hastily wiping her tears away and grasped it within his own. With his other hand, he caressed her face and wiped away a new tear gently with his thumb.

"What are you-?" Hiroko pushed herself back but the man pulled her into his chest. _What is he going to do? Is he…going to rape me? _Thinking these thoughts made Hiroko cry even harder and scream. It wasn't what she was expecting when the man wrapped his arms around her in a strong and warm hug.

"Your father is dead, isn't he? It's alright, Hiro-chan, let it all out. I have time." '_Children such as you shouldn't have to go through such pain…'_

Hearing the words come out of Hitiyashi's mouth, Hiroko crumbled. She wrapped her arms around the man's neck and she cried and screamed. Through it all, the man was hugging her, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words in her ear.

-3 hours later-

"Hey…uh…I'm sorry about how I lost control back there." Hiroko focused her gaze on the ground while she felt a blush spread across her face as she recalled the events that happened earlier.

"Oh, it's nothing Hiro-chan! Wait…can I call you Hiro-chan or do I have to stick to Hiroko?"

Hiroko smiled as she looked up. "I think you earned the right to call me 'Hiro-chan'. "

"By simply hugging you?" Hitiyashi raised his eyebrow in disbelief.

"You know it was more than that."

Hitiyashi laughed and rubbed Hiroko's head. "Alright, kiddo."

'_I hate when I have to bring the serious topics into a cheerful conversation but…I have to know.' _"Hitiyashi, what's going to happen next?"

Hitiyashi sighed and looked at the girl next to him with sadness etched in his eyes. "What do you want to happen next, Hiro-chan?"

"What do you mean?" It was now Hiroko's turn to cock her head to the side.

"Well…we could separate our paths here. I go back to the bounty hunter base and you go on figuring out how to go about with your life or you could come with me to the base and since you have bad history with that job, maybe I could form a team with you and I so you'll always have someone to deal with your troubles besides yourself."

"I…" Hiroko lowered her gaze once more. "Can't believe I'm saying this…but I'm coming with you."

Hitiyashi smiled as he extended his hand. "So basically, you're saying that you're placing your trust in me?"

Hiroko grabbed Hitiyashi's hand and shook it. "Exactly."

"Great. _**Mizu sutairu: Mizu no kajō kaki**_." Hitiyashi put out the fire that he had started not too long ago to keep both him and his team mate warm. "Let's go then. You'll get to see where your father worked."

Hiroko got up off the ground and followed Hitiyashi to the bounty hunter base. A smile broke onto her face as she gazed at the man in front of her. She felt like good days were to come.

-30 mins later-

"Andddd, we're here!"

The building was in the shape of a huge round cylinder that had detailed brick and window designs. On the roof, the words 'Bounty Hunter Base' were spelled out in gold letters.

"Isn't this a bit obvious? Do you guys want to get targeted?" Hiroko asked as her eyes hungrily took in the sight of the building.

"Don't worry. We're hidden by a genjutsu. Also, people don't need to come here because when we get a mission, we go to them. However, during the times that they do come here, we meet them in the part of the forest right before the genjutsu starts and we blindfold them until we reach the inside of this building. We blindfold them again when they are leaving. So basically we are hidden and protected."

"Oh, so that's why I felt that disturbance in my chakra!" Hiroko nodded as all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

"You felt a disturbance in your chakra? You must be from the Yukihana clan. But….he didn't have children…did he? Your father's name is Sora Yukihana, correct?" Hitiyashi gritted his teeth. '_If this child confirms it, this creates a whole lot of problems.'_

"How did you….know?" Hiroko trembled as she looked at the man who seemed to know everything about her family.

"There is only one other person who could 'feel' this type of genjutsu. This isn't your regular ninja genjutsu so it's an extraordinary feat to be able to 'feel' it. The only other person I knew who could do this was a guy called Sora Yukihana. Last I heard, he loved an assassin and they expelled him from the field. Now I can assume that they got married and had a child. The child who has obviously already awakened her bloodline and the child that is standing right before me."

"You knew my father? You know about this bloodline?" Hiroko's eyes widened as tears threatened to spill.

"Yes, he and I were great friends and partners back in the day. To think I would form a partnership with his daughter."

Hiroko didn't know what to think. The only thing she was aware of was that her emotions were all in a mess.

"Wow…"

**Author: And we're stopping here. Next chapter will basically be the continuation of this and more! To be honest with you guys, at the beginning of the chapter I wasn't really feeling it. I felt like my writing was horrible but hopefully, I'll improve with your help. How can you help me? Well you can review! Tell me what you think and stuff, guys! Do you like how everything escalated towards the end of the chapter? Lol, so Hiroko found a friend of her dad's yay! How will their relationship as partners develop now! Well, time to go. I'm hungry.** **Oh, wait. Your translations. I almost forgot! Here they are:**

"**Mizu sutairu: Mizu no kajō kaki"- "Water Style: Water Bullets"**


	4. A New Mentor

~Chapter 4: A New Mentor~

I **do not** own Naruto

"Yep…it's pretty sad how he died, isn't it?" Hiroko looked up to the sky as to help the tears not drip down her face.

"Yeah…I'm crying a lot, aren't I?"

"It's alright. I already told you that." Hitiyashi smiled at the girl. "Hey, listen. Not only do I know about the bloodline of the Yukihana clan, they also have sacred weapons passed down through generations. Your father told you about this?"

"Yes. He said that only a few chosen and gifted people were chosen by a….sword I believe. What did he mean by that?"

"Well, you know how not even everybody in the clan awakens their bloodline? The people that do, when they become of a certain age, they are taken to sacred grounds where a sacred sword belonging to the Yukihana clan is kept. Many try to draw it but even with the bloodline within them, it rejected most. Of course a sacred sword like that would attract people's attention. People have tried to steal it before but they have never succeeded. Simply because the sword chooses who it wants its master to be. I myself have never seen it, however, according to your father it's beautiful. More beautiful than any other sword in the world. I've heard that the material it is made from is golden and the handle is covered with beautiful red rubies. The only red rubies left in the world on the ones on that sword. That sword is also said to be the strongest sword in the entire world. The most beautiful and the strongest…And the name is beautiful as well. Excalibur, the sword that is only meant for a king." Hitiyashi smiled for a brief moment after finishing his speech. Looking at his partner/apprentice, the expression on her face was priceless.

"Wow…I can't believe such a sword exists! I can't believe such a sword belongs to us, the Yukihana clan." Hiroko looked over joyed at the information that she was receiving.

"You are about thirteen, right? You are of age, Yukihana maiden. We will have to see if you can get Excalibur. And even if you can't, that's not the end of your abilities."

"It's not?" Hiroko now look positively overwhelmed.

"No. I believe when you first awakened your bloodline, you saw fire around you, right? And then you awakened your Kekai genkai?"

"Yes, that's exactly what happened, why is it important?"

"Well, first off, let's start with the kekai genkai. The eyes that you have are known as the _**Enjeruai. **_And the fire that you can now control is called _**Enjerufaiā.**_ When you use these in battle, you could still kill your opponent in seconds, kid. The power that the people in your clan have is fearsome. Your father gained my respect with that power. The _**Enjeruai**_ and the _**Enjerufaiā **_both work a way lot better with the sword Excalibur. But let's not get off-track. As you probably already know, you can use the fire to heal yourself and to attack. There is a mode in which you can go into where there are flames surrounding you and you gain immense increase in power and strength and speed. I'm pretty sure you already know this as well?"

Hiroko nodded in confirmation. "When I went back and saw my house destroyed and my parents no longer of this world I felt so much rage. And then it all subsided at once but I felt crazy power running through me, like I could destroy a mountain."

"All jokes aside, you probably could."

Hiroko gaped at the man. "Really?"

Hitiyashi laughed and nodded. "We'll get into this more later. Right now, we should focus on getting inside so I could officially complete my mission and so I could sign you up as a bounty hunter and my partner. Also the sooner we get inside, the sooner I could explain more things to you and the sooner I can start training you."

Hiroko ran full speed past Hitiyashi and into the bounty hunter base. The guard on duty attempted to grab her but she pulled herself away. "Hey, stop!"

"It's okay. She's with me." Hitiyashi walked through the doors with a smile on his face. "Don't mind her. She's a little excited."

"Oh, I could see that! Well, have a nice day, Hitiyashi!"

Hitiyashi nodded at the guard and walked forward to meet with Hiroko who waited for him at the lobby. There was about five or six steps going up, and then it split into two. A staircase going right and a staircase going left. "Uh…where do we go from here?"

Hitiyashi shook his head at his excited partner-to-be. Well at least he could be glad that she didn't randomly choose a staircase-

"Come one, Hitiyashi, what are you waiting for?"

Hitiyashi's eyes widened as his partner-to-be went up the right staircase. "That's not the right one! Left goddamit!"

Hiroko ran back down the stairs and sheepishly chuckled. "Sorry. Lead the way."

Hitiyashi walked over to Hiroko and grabbed her hand. "I wouldn't want Hiro-chan to get lost now would I?"

Hiroko blushed in embarrassment. "Okay, okay. Prick."

The two of them made their way up the left staircase which lead to an important looking hall. All along it, there were shut doors and at the end of the hall, there were two gigantic double doors.

"That's where we're going." Hitiyashi pointed to the doors at the end of the hall. Feeling a little nervous, at last, Hiroko hid behind Hitiyashi as they approached the door. Hitiyashi smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. "I was like you the first time I came here, but don't worry. Everything will turn out fine. Now, let's go inside!"

Hitiyashi didn't even bother to knock on the door, instead he just yanked the door open and pushed Hiroko through

"Gramps, I'm here!" Hiroko sweat dropped at Hitiyashi's way of entering. Hiroko shook her head and then bowed low.

"Welcome back, Hitiyashi. Who's this polite young lady you have here?"

**Author: And we stop here. So Hiroko learned a lot about her bloodline and clan thanks to her father's old friend. Also she finally made it to the bounty hunter base! I don't think my writing in this chapter was as bad as the one in the last chapter but who knows? Guys, make sure to review and leave behind what you think and so on! Now, here are your translations! Bye, see you next chapter!**

"**Enjerufaiā"-"Angel's Fire"**

"**Enjeruai"-"Angel's Eye"**


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